E39 M5 BMW

Auxiliary Input Kit Installation (Non-Nav)

This article will go over the required parts and steps to install a hard-wired factory BMW auxiliary input kit to your E39 5-series without factory navigation.

Objective: Install a factory BMW hard-wired auxiliary input cable to your 5-series.

Applicable Vehicles: 1997-2003 BMW E39 5-series (Without Navigation): 520i, 523i, 525i, 528i, 530i, 535i, 540i, M5.

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

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BMW E39 M5 Camshaft Position Sensors

It’s always something, right? Usually electrical sensors are the most prominent, annoying, and expensive problems we have with these cars, and this only perpetuates this theory. Own an E39 M5 for long enough, and you’ll end up having to replace the cam sensors.

What is a Camshaft Position Sensor?

Let’s start with a camshaft. Put basically, the camshaft is responsible for opening and closing intake and exhaust valves in a combustion engine. A camshaft position sensor senses the position of the camshaft as it revolves, reporting back to the VANOS (variable intake and exhaust valve timing system) telling it where the camshaft sits. This all enhances performance, efficiency, and overall smoothness of the engine. Since the M5’s engine is a ‘V’8, there are two cylinder banks, and thus four camshafts. Each cylinder bank has one intake, and one exhaust camshaft. Each camshaft has a CPS (camshaft position sensor). This brings the total to four CPS, two intake, and two exhaust.

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BMW E39 M5: Floor/Trunk Mats

Really Ryan, a post about floor mats? Yeah. This article will identify the proper floor mat part numbers for our E39 M5s. Caramel and English Green are longer available, but black is; and BMW has recently updated it.

Winter

Genuine BMW Black Rubber, Front: 82550302997 Other Brands and Options: ECS Tuning

Summer

Genuine BMW Black Carpet, Set of Four: 82110009046 Other Brands and Options: ECS Tuning

Caramel and English Green mats are no longer available new. I recommend that owners of cars with these interiors try the black mats; they prove to be much more practical than the lighter colors.

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BMW E39 M5: Front PDC Retrofit

For the 2000 model year, E39 M5s optioned with S508A Park Distance Control PDC included only 4 rear sensors. It wasn’t until the 2001 facelift that BMW added an additional 4 front sensors to the PDC option. This article and video content will detail how to retrofit the four front sensors to your 2000 BMW M5.

This article is a supplement to the primary DIY video posted at the bottom of this article. Reference that video to see the steps in action and for a better visual explanation.

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BMW E39 M5: Must Have Mods

I bought my 2000 BMW M5 in 2010; it was my first car and I was 17 years old. Somehow, I didn’t kill myself. By 2011, the void of E39 M5 DIY content online made me think ‘If I want to see this content, maybe others would too.’ I decided to spearhead the lack of online content with E39Source. This has allowed me to connect with thousands of fellow E39 (M5) owners. Now after 12+ years of E39 M5 experience, I have come to know this platform quite well. For the first 8 years, I serviced my own vehicle. Since 2018, I have been offering my speciality E39 M5 services professionally at our shop located in San Diego, California…

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BMW E39: Automatic Headlight Retrofit

For the 2002 model year (from 9/1/2001 production), BMWs came standard with automatic headlights. Five components need to be installed or replaced to bring this functionality to earlier models. This article details the steps that must be completed to retrofit automatic headlights. Additionally, please view the video at the bottom of this post for more detail.

Objective: Retrofit automatic headlights to a BMW E39 5-series.

Applicable Vehicles: 1997-2001 BMW E39 5-series: 520i, 523i, 525i, 528i, 530i, 535i, 540i, M5. Information from this article can also be applied to the 1994-2001 BMW E38 7-series: 730i, 740i, 740iL, 750iL, the E53 BMW X5, and the 1999-2006 BMW E46 3-series: 323i, 325i, 328i, 330i, M3.

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BMW E39: Facelift Lighting

BMW made constant changes to the E39 throughout production. I detail the majority of these changes this article. Some of the most noticeable differences are in the lighting elements. The 2001 facelift brought new headlights, fog lights, and tail lights to the E39. This article will detail the upgrade process from 1996-2000 lights to 2001+ lights.

There is a right way and a wrong way to go about this. If you use Ebay to search for E39 headlights and tail lights, you will find several significantly cheaper alternatives to what I recommend using. To anybody that knows BMWs, the cheap lights will be quickly recognized as fake and gaudy. I made the mistake of installing Depo headlights on my M5 many years ago- I didn’t know better. They had writing all over the lenses, were not proportioned correctly, and had 5 individual LEDs in each halo ring, which were clearly visible at night. The OEM lights are so much more elegant, provide a smoother, more even light, and are significantly more expensive. You get what you pay for.

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BMW E39: Facelift Steering Wheel Upgrade

For 2001, BMW gave the E39 M5 the E46 M3 steering wheel. Before this, it had used the E36 M3’s wheel. The newer wheel looks a lot more modern and feels much more sporty due to it’s thicker girth, and more pronounced side bolsters. The E46 wheel also allows you to finally see both the top of the gauges and the cluster LCD display at the same time! Depending on when your E39 was made, this update process can be super easy, or damn near impossible. Let’s get to it.

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BMW E39: HVAC Panel Facelift

This is a minor item to facelift, but it was included in the E39 2001 model year refresh nonetheless. From 9/00 production, BMW replaced the REST button with a MAX AC button. But fear not, REST functionality is not lost! This article details how to properly retrofit the new HVAC panel and associated solar sensor.

Objective: Facelift HVAC panel to add MAX AC button and functionality.

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BMW E39: Navigation System Upgrades: (Computer, Display, Software, Maps)

In this article, I discuss in detail the steps, hardware, and software required to upgrade your BMW’s navigation computer, display, software, and maps. The information in this article is only applicable to BMWs that speak the same electronics ‘language’. Many BMW models and series speak this same language, utilize the same connectors, and make use of the same hardware-software interface.

Applicable Vehicles:

1. E38 7-series (1994-2001) 

2. E46 3-series (1999-2006) 

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